Just like many parts of the world, Singapore is currently on lockdown where residents are encouraged to stay at home and only go out unless to buy essentials. To help remind its citizens and residents to stay home, the government has employed the use of Boston Dynamics’ robot dog, Spot.
Spot will be used to patrol the parks and streets of Singapore where it will constantly broadcast a message to remind people to observe social distancing measures. Right now, Spot is being tested in the city’s Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park as part of a two week trial. The robot will come equipped with cameras that will be used to estimate how many people are in the park and will be accompanied by a human guide.
For those worried about privacy, Singapore’s National Parks Board has reassured that there will not be any personal data collected, nor will these cameras be used to identify individuals. Assuming the trial is successful, there are plans to potentially allow the robot to patrol the park full-time during peak hours, and also to deploy it to other parts of the country.
This is not the first time that robots are being used in such a manner. As The Verge notes, there have been instances in the US and China where drones are used to broadcast similar warnings/reminders.
Filed in . Read more about Boston Dynamics, Coronavirus, Covid-19 and Health. Source: theverge